Devils Standouts: The Best & Worst; Who Connor Brown is Building Chemistry With

The New Jersey Devils iced an NHL-heavy squad against the New York Islanders’ B-team on Tuesday, and it went exactly how you might have thought.

The Devils routed the Isles to a dominant 6-2 victory, nearly quadrupling their shot total while scoring at will.

Amid the victory, some obvious chemistry began brewing between newcomer, Connor Brown, and his new linemates.

Let’s take a look at Tuesday night’s best and worst on the ice.

Best Devils

Jack Hughes

Good news. Jack Hughes looks good.

The Devils’ franchise forward was out on the ice in his first taste of game action since March, handling the puck like he never surgically repaired his shoulder. He was transitioning the puck well, and playmaking just fine, thus, registering two assists on the night.

The shot looks good, too, throwing a pair of pucks on net.

Now, if he could just improve in the face-off dot. He went 3/13 (23.1%).

Dougie Hamilton

Jack Hughes basically crowned Luke Hughes QB1 on the Devils’ first unit power play. The national media continues to speculate Dougie Hamilton‘s future in New Jersey.

The Devils defenseman is playing unbothered, however.

Hamilton looked good against the Islanders B-squad. He opened the scoring on the power play, wiring a shot over the right shoulder of Marcus Hogberg to give the Devils a 1-0 lead in the first period.

He could have been better at clearing a body from the front of the net on the Islanders’ first power play goal that screened Jacob Markstrom, but that was his lone blemish.

Connor Brown & Ondrej Palat

What’s that? Is that chemistry I sense between Connor Brown and Ondrej Palat?

Now, as a third line, this newfound relationship could work real well. Brown has the wheels to move the puck well in transition, and Palat seemed to be able to find the open space necessary to receive passes for scoring opportunities from the speedy winger.

Ironically enough, the two connected on a goal, and it was Palat who threaded a needle to the streaking Brown, and he beat Hogberg clean at even strength.

Grain of salt, it’s just the preseason against the B-squad. But, perhaps this is the depth Tom Fitzgerald was looking for, and it won’t matter who the 3C is.

Arseny Gritsyuk

Arseny Gristyuk does not look like a rookie out there.

Granted, he played mostly against rookies and depth forwards again on Tuesday.

Regardless, he’s fit in like a glove among the Devils veterans who were on the ice against the Islanders. His game is smooth and calm. He continued to transition the puck well, didn’t panic with the rubber on his stick, and displayed patience with the puck. He contributed to some legitimate scoring chances in a depth role, and helped keep the puck in the opponent’s end of the ice during the majority of his ice time.

It wasn’t a goal and two points on six shots like it was on Sunday, but it was certainly another encouraging performance.

Brian Halonen

Sheldon Keefe explained that in order for Brian Halonen to earn a spot on the NHL roster, he’ll need to find ways to contribute at even strength.

With the Devils loading up on the roster Tuesday night, Halonen dropped from the first to the fourth line, and was not on either power play unit.

That didn’t matter much.

Like Gritsyuk, Halonen had limited minutes on the fourth line, yet he made them all meaningful. He was tough to play against on the forecheck, physical with three hits, and almost scored, hitting the crossbar in the second period.

Halonen is a hard-working forward who is—so far—making a case to stick around. Let’s see how he does when the opposition begins making cuts and there are more NHLers on the ice.

Ethan Edwards

Ethan Edwards has to be mentioned here.

He took one undisciplined penalty in the second period with a high stick on Julien Gauthier, but there is a lot to like about Edwards’ game.

He’s thus far been defensively responsible, positionally sound, physical (four hits on Tuesday), and his skating has been impressive.

There were even a few sequences where he pinched at the Islanders blueline, and although he didn’t come away with the puck, was able to skate back into position and not leave his D-partner, Brett Pesce, hung out to dry.

And hey, he scored a goal! The result of a heads-up play, seeing open ice in front of him, taking the slot and putting the puck on goal.

Edwards’ game is simple, yet effective. The kind of simplicity that breeds dependability. Let’s so how he does against an NHL lineup.

Worst Devils

No one.

Sorry, but the Devils did what they were supposed to do on Tuesday. The Islanders rolled in with their B-squad, and New Jersey looked a step above, exactly how they should have.

Don’t expect this again once teams make cuts.